burden

burden: burden bur‧den [ˈbɜːdn ǁ ˈbɜːrdn] noun [countable]

1. something that causes people a lot of difficulty or worry:

• In less prosperous areas the taxes were, for many, such a burden that they lived in poverty.

2. particular costs such as taxes or interest payments seen as a problem, especially when they are high:

• the burden of local rates that each company located in the area must pay

• New regulations can put a heavy cost burden on small businesses.

• The rise in the US tax burden (= the amount of tax that people and companies have to pay ) has not been due to military spending, but to welfare.

• They want a $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local income taxes as a way to increase the tax burden on the rich.

ˈdebt ˌburden ECONOMICS

the amount of debt that a business or country has; = DEBT LOAD:

• a major restructuring by the company to cut its $500 million debt burden

3. LAW a duty that someone has legally or officially promised to do:

• The holder of the bill of lading would assume the burden (= take the responsibility ) of becoming subject to contractual liabilities.

* * *

Ⅰ.

burden UK US /ˈbɜːd^ən/ noun [C]

► a difficult situation or unpleasant responsibility that you must deal with or worry about: ease/lighten/reduce the burden (on sb) »By training additional staff, management could significantly ease the burden on its over-worked personnel.
heavy/big/enormous burden »I sympathize with the heavy burden of paperwork they have to deal with.
»the administrative/legal burden

► the responsibility of paying money that you owe, or the large amount of money that you owe: bear/carry/assume the burden (for sth) »If the new law is passed, tax payers will assume the burden for rising energy costs.
financial/economic burden »He proposed that the state accept the financial burden.
»a tax/mortgage/loan burden

→ See also DEBT BURDEN(Cf. ↑debt burden)

Ⅱ.

burden UK US /ˈbɜːd^ən/ verb [T]

► to make someone responsible for something that is very difficult, unpleasant, or expensive to deal with: be burdened with/by sth »Borrowers are already burdened with mortgage extras such as arrangement fees and life assurance cover.
»a nation burdened by heavy unemployment

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Synonyms:

Load, weight / Cargo, freight, lading / Capacity, carrying capacity, tonnage / Encumbrance, clog, impediment, incubus, grievance, trial, trouble, sorrow, affliction, drag weight, dead weight / Chorus, refrain / Main topic, drift, tenor, point, substance, reiterated doctrine, Load, overload, overlay, oppress, surcharge, put a burden upon, grieve, try, afflict

Look at other dictionaries:

burden — bur·den n 1: something that is a duty, obligation, or responsibility the prosecution has the burden of proving every element of the offense the statute imposes undue burden s burden of pleading the necessary elements 2 … Law dictionary
Burden — Bur den (b[^u] d n), n. [Written also burthen.] [OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byr[eth]en; akin to Icel. byr[eth]i, Dan. byrde, Sw. b[ o]rda, G. b[ u]rde, OHG. burdi, Goth. ba[ u]r[thorn]ei, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Burden — ist der Name mehrerer Personen: Chris Burden (* 1946), US amerikanischer Künstler Hugh Burden (1913–1985), britischer Schauspieler und Dramatiker Jane Burden (1839–1914), Modell und Muse der Präraffaeliten Burden ist außerdem der Name mehrerer… … Deutsch Wikipedia
burden — n *load, cargo, freight, lading burden vb Burden, encumber, cumber, weigh, weight, load, lade, tax, charge, saddle are comparable when they mean to lay a heavy load upon or to lie like a heavy load upon a person or thing. Burden implies the… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
Burden — Bur den, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burdened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Burdening}.] 1. To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load. [1913 Webster] I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened. 2 Cor. viii. 13.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
burden — burden1 [bʉrd′ n] n. [ME birthen < OE byrthen, akin to ON byrthr, a load: for IE base see BEAR1] 1. anything that is carried; load 2. anything one has to bear or put up with; heavy load, as of work, duty, responsibility, or sorrow 3. the… … English World dictionary
Burden — Bur den (b[^u]r d n), n. [OE. burdoun the bass in music, F. bourdon; cf. LL. burdo drone, a long organ pipe, a staff, a mule. Prob. of imitative origin. Cf. {Bourdon}.] 1. The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Burden — Burden, KS U.S. city in Kansas Population (2000): 564 Housing Units (2000): 236 Land area (2000): 0.526134 sq. miles (1.362682 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.009121 sq. miles (0.023623 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.535255 sq. miles (1.386305 sq. km) … StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places
Burden, KS — U.S. city in Kansas Population (2000): 564 Housing Units (2000): 236 Land area (2000): 0.526134 sq. miles (1.362682 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.009121 sq. miles (0.023623 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.535255 sq. miles (1.386305 sq. km) FIPS code … StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places
burden — ► NOUN 1) a heavy load. 2) a cause of hardship, worry, or grief. 3) the main responsibility for a task. 4) the main theme of a speech, book, or argument. 5) a ship s carrying capacity. ► VERB 1) load heavily … English terms dictionary

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